Apartment Fire Blamed on Spontaneous Combustion

Clothes with greasy residue from vegetable oil bundled together in a laundry basket apparently caused spontaneious combustion, starting the early morning fire.

Damage caused by the fire was minimal Photo Courtesy: Bill Holmstrom/Salem Fire

(SALEM) - Large numbers of Salem firefighters responded to a report of an apartment fire early Wednesday morning just after 5:00 AM.

Salem Fire crews arriving at an apartment at 1122 Hines Street SE, responded with 3 Engines, 1 Ladder Truck, and a Battalion Chief, according to Fire Department Spokesman Bill Holmstrom.

"First arriving firefighters reported smoke coming from the front door of the apartment unit. Fire fighters entered the structure and discovered a laundry basket full of clothes on fire in the front bedroom. The fire was extinguished."

Holmstrom says the fire caused minimal damage to the apartment unit and its contents.

The occupants were not at home at the time of the fire, says Holmstrom, but discovered the fire on their return.

Investigators say the fire appeared to have been caused by spontaneous combustion due to vegetable oil residue remaining on clothes bundled in the laundry basket.